Stamp-affixing machine.



PATENTED Nov. 12

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6,1906.

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PATENTED NOV. 12, 1907. S. G. KINDIG. STAMP AFFIXING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6, 1906.

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PATENTED NOV. 12, 1907.

S. G. KINDIG.

STAMP AFFIXING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6,1906.

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SAMUEL o. KINDIG, or

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM WITTLER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

STAMP -AFFIXING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1907.

Application filed June 6, 1906. Serial No. 320,374-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL C. KINDIG, a citizen'of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Stamp- Afiixing Machine, of which the following is a specification,

This invention ,relates to improvements in stampafiixing machines.

Among the objects of the invention are, to provide a device in which a whole sheet of stamps, of any denomination, may be placed and automatically fed over the envelops in position to be secured thereon; to automatically moisten the stamps, one at a time, just before they pass over the envelops on which they are to be placed; and to provide means to disconnect each stamp from the sheet as it is being placed on the envelop.

The invention consists of the new and novel parts and combination of parts hereinafter more full set forth in the following specification, and pointed out in detail in the claims.

In the accompanying drawingsf-Figure 1 is a top plan view of my invention with the carriage at the extreme end in position to advance with the sheet of stamps. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detailed sectional view on the line XX of Fig. 3 showing the escapement mechanism. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line Y-Y of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detailed view of the escapement lever. Fig. 7 is a top plan view of Fig. 6 showing the diagonal slot in the top of the escapement lever.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views thereof, 1 designates the base, 2 the stamp carriage, and 3 the envelop rest.

The stamp carriage 2-is slidably mounted on the top oi the base, 1 and is provided with ball-bearings 4.

This carnage 2 is provided with a flat table 5 having a guide 6 projecting upwardly at one side to guide the sheet of stamps between the rollers 7 and 8. Said rollers 7 and 8 are mounted in a slotted bearing 9 at each end and are held together by the springs 10. On one side of the base 1 is pivoted a drum 11 in which a spring, such as a clock spring, is normally under tension, and on the outer surface of said drum is secured one end of a metal band 12, the other end of which latter is secured to the under side of the stamp carriage. The tension of the spring in the drum 11 causes the carriage to move toward the said drum the distance of one stamp when the said carriage is released as will hereinafter more fully appear.

The envelop rest 3 is secured against one side of the base 1 and is provided with an upwardly projecting arm 13 in which latter is mounted a plunger 14 normally held in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3 by a coiled spring (not shown) within said arm. Cast integral with the envelop rest, and to one side of the plunger, is a receptacle 15 to contain water. Near the top of said receptacle 15 is revolubly mounted a roller 16, of rubber or other suitable material, and mounted above said roller 16 and in contact therewith is a smaller roller 17 of felt, or other suitable material. The large roller 16 revolves in the water and carries enough thereon to Wet the smaller roller 17 which in turn moistens each stamp as it passes over the roller 17 and just before it comes over the envelop. A finger 18 is pivoted at 19 and has its free end resting on the small roller 17. The stamps pass over the roller 17 and the finger l8 rests on the stamp as it passes over the said roller insuring the stamps being moistened before passing over the envelop to which they are to be secured. The envelop rest 3 is also provided with a guide 20 against which the stamps impinge after passing between the rollers 7 and 8 and to determine how far the said stamps are to project beyond said rollers. A guide 21 is also provided on the envelop rest 3 to guide the envelops to the proper position to be stamped. The carriage 2, being in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a sheet of stamps is placed on the table 5 with one edge against the guide 6 and the forward edge between the rollers 7 and 8. The roller 8 is then turned carrying the sheet of stamps forward until the edge impinges against the guide 20 on the envelop rest. The envelops are placed on the envelop rest, one, or several, at a time, with the corner upon which the stamp is to be placed directly under the lower square end 22 of the plunger 14. The first stamp having passed over the roller 17 and being mois tened is in position over the envelop to be stamped. A blow by the hand on the top of the plunger forces the latter down carrying one stamp down onto the envelop, at the same time cutting the stamp off at the two periorated sides by the lower square end 22 passing the knives 23 and 24. The envelop rest is cut out at 25, in line with the plunger, and is provided with a block 26 held to its normal position by the spring 27. The lower surface of the block 26 is provided with a post 28, the lower end of which latter is pivoted to one arm of the bell-crank lever 29. The said bell-crank lever 29 is pivoted to a boss 30 on the envelop rest and is pivoted at its other arm to a link 31, which latter is pivoted to the escapement lever 32. The said escapement lever 32 is pivoted at its lower end to the base 1 and is provided at its upper end with a diagonal slot 33. This lever 32 serves to stop the carriage at the proper posi tion. It will be seen that as the envelops rest upon the block 26, when the plunger 14 is brought down on the envelops the said block 26 will be depressed, causing the bell-crank lever 29 to rock, which moves the es capement lever 32 on its pivot until the diagonal slot 33 comes in line with the lug 34 on the lower surface of the carriage 2. As the said slot 33 is diagonal the said lug 34 cannot pass through the slot and release the carriage until the plunger 14 is released, which permits the other parts to resume their normal positions, and as the lever 32 is moving back to its normal position the lug 34 passes through the said slot 33 and allows the carriage to jump, or advance, to the next lug,the distance of one stamp. The escapement lever is made of three pieces, the upper and lower pieces being connected with a flexible piece which allows the said lever 32 to bend sufiiciently to allow the lugs 34 to pass over it as the carriage is being brought back after a row of stamps have been used. On the base 1, just back of the lever 32, is a stop 35 which prevents said lever from yielding when the lugs 34 strike it as the carriage advances. After one row of stamps is used the carriage is brought back -to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and the roller 8 turned until the next row of stamps impinges against the guide 20, and the operation of afiixing the stamps repeated. As the sheets of stamps are always provided with a margin the last row can be fed out the same as the other rows.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. In a stamp-aflixing machine, the combination of a base, a stamp carriage having lugs on its lower surface and a guide on one edge, two rollers revolubly mounted on said carriage between which the sheet of stamps passes, springs to hold the said rollers together, a plunger, an escapement lever pivoted at its lower end to the base and having a diagonal slot in its upper end for engagement with said lugs, whereby when the plunger is operated the escapement lever will be reciprocated and the carriage allowed to move a predetermined distance.

2. In a stamp-aifixing machine, the combination of a base, a stamp carriage having lugs on its lower surface,- two rollers carried by said carriage, an envelop rest having a guide to determine the distance the sheet of stamps is to project beyond the said rollerspa plunger, means to moisten each stamp before it is carried under the plunger, an escapement lever pivoted at its lower end to the base and having a diagonal slot in its upper end for engagement with said lugs, whereby when the plunger is 0perated the escapement lever will be reciprocated andthe carriage allowed to move a predetermined distance.

3. In a stampaflixing machine, the combination of a base, a carriage having lugs on its lower surface, a plunger to force the stamps upon the envelops, two knives below said plunger to cut the stamps from the sheet when the plunger descends, an escapement lever pivoted at its lower end to the base and having a diagonal slot in its upper end for engagement with the said lugs, whereby when the plunger is operated the escapement lever will be reciprocated and the carriage allowed to move a predetermined distance, a water receptacle having a roller mounted therein and adapted to moisten each stamp before it passes under the plunger, and a finger to keep the stamps against the said roller as they pass over it.

4. In a stamp-affixing machine, the combination of a base, a carriage slidably mounted on said base and having a number of lugs on its lower surface and carrying a fiat table having a guide projecting upwardly at one side to guide the sheet of stamps between the rollers, a drum pivoted to the said base and having a spring therein normally under tension, a band connected by one end to the said drum and by the other end to the said carriage, 'two rollers revolubly mounted on said carriage, an envelop rest having a guide for the envelops and a guide to determine the distance the sheet of stamps is to project beyond the said rollers, a plunger, an escapement lever pivote'd at its lower end to the base and having a diagonal slot in its upper end for engagement with the said lugs and 0perated by the plunger to advance the carriage a predetermined distance after each stamp has been affixed, a water receptacle having a roller mounted therein and adapted to moiste'n each stamp before it passes under the plunger, and a finger to keep the stamps against said roller as they pass over it.

\ SAMUEL C. KINDIG.

Witnesses CHAPIN A. FERGUsoN, WM. R. LLEWELLYN, 

